Apparatus for pumping viscou materials



Oct. 16, 1951 B. OLSSON APPARATUS FOR PUMPING 'vxscous MATERIALS Filed March 16, 1946 5 9 2 1 0 41,4 2 2 2 3 w 03 a n. o 4 M5 4 m 4 0 4 I 1 4 1 m I M IN V EN TOR. B ngt 0155012 BY JAM GASSES ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 16, 1951 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR PUMPING VISCOU MATERIALS Bengt Olsson, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 16, 1946, Serial No. 654,949

5 Claims.

lhis invention relates to an air lift system which is peculiarly adapted for the transfer of solids, partly solid and liquids from one receptacle over a high elevation to another receptacle and has for its principal objects the principle of a novel method as well as a simple, compact and durable apparatus for accomplishing such purpose.

Heretofore, as I am well aware, it has been proposed, as set forth in the Pohle Patents No. 338,295, 347,196 and 487,639 to employ an air lift wherein a compressed fluid, such as air or steam is introduced into the intake end of the delivery pipe or at different points along a vertical leg of the same for the purpose of raising water, petroleum oil, sewage and the like to a relatively great elevation as compared with that obtainable by means of a vacuum pump, unassisted by an air lift, such liquid being conveyed through the delivery pipe either in the form of a column of intimately commingled air and water, the former being present in the form of small bubbles, or else in the form of a column composed of alternate layers of air and liquid. Accordingly I do not broadly claim herein the employment of the air lift principle for the purpose of the transfer of liquid from one receptacle to another.

This application is an improvement upon my Patent No. 2,210,123 of August 6, 1940.

My invention is fully disclosed in the following detailed specification and drawing forming a part thereof in which latter- Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved pumping apparatus showing the same in position on a slop tank adjacent a marine vessel, the double bottoms of which are being cleaned with such apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical section, partly in elevation, of the reliever element taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referrin to the drawing and the construction shown therein, the reference numeral l designates the hull of an oil-burning marine vessel, 2 the fuel oil tanks in the double bottom thereof, 3 the deck, 4 the hatch opening and 5 the rail of said hull. Alongside the vessel a slop barge B is moored.

One leg of a delivery hose I is suspended within the vessel, the same passing up through the hatch and over the rail to the pumping equiptween the first and second lengths of hose, that a reliever member.

2 at a distance of about 25 from said intake end.

A coupling of a liquid or gas supply line I8 is connected to the booster or ejector nozzle H so that the material drawn up through the nozzle l I is lifted or aided in its upward movement into delivery hose to.

An elbow is interposed in the hose 10 at a short distance from its point of discharge into the top of reliever member 2| which latter (see Fig. 2) comprises a housing having a central sleeve portion 22 that is in permanent communication with the hose l0 and is adapted to discharge into the main chamber of said reliever which latter has a converging bottom portion that is tapped as designated by the numeral 24, to receive a conduit Illa which in turn constitutes a continuation, in effect, of the delivery hose II).

An aperture 25 formed in the lateral wall of the reliever serves as a discharge outlet for gases that collect in the top of said main chamber of the A pipe 21, which is connected to said discharge aperture 25, serves to conduct gases from the chamber to an air pump 28, preferably of the steam ejector type from which such gases are discharged into pipe 29 and thence delivered either into the said slop tank 6 or into a separate receptacle. A valve controlled steam line l8 serves to supply steam to said ejector pump 28. Said ejector pump serves the further purpose as hereinafter described of maintaining a moderate vacuum at the discharge end of pipe ID.

A conduit 30 comprising a priming means as hereinafter described communicates with the chamber opposite the inner end of conduit 21, said conduit having a clapper valve 3| interposed therein. Said conduit 39 communicates at its lower end with the suction chamber orso-called low-side of a duplex force pump 32 and with which chamber a conduit Illa also communicates. A discharge conduit 33 which is in communication with the compression chamber or so-called high-side of said pump 32 serves to discharge liquid, partly liquid and solid matter drawn into the pump from the conduit Illa into the slop tank of the barge 6.

My method of operation, being primarily due to the push and pull action of the booster interposed in the intake line, will operate effectively with a suitable vacuum existing in the reliever 2| during the actual pumping operation.

In those cases where it is impossible to completely submerge the intake nozzle clue to the lack of depth of the liquid sludge in the tanks which are being cleaned, it is necessary to admit air to the intake nozzle along with the sludge.

I have, therefore, provided a hose 40 which is connected adjacent to the end of the intake nozzle so that gas orliquid can be supplied to the suction line or delivery line I. The pumping operation will then proceed smoothly. The connection of hose to hose l0 comprises a booster jet through which gas or liquid is introduced under pressure through hose to provide additional suction for the more efficient pumping operation.

Depending upon the character of the material to be pumped, that is, whether or not it is liquid, partly liquid or solids containing grains or scales of different types, liquid or gas as required, is introduced through the pipe I in order to make the material flow faster through the transmission line I.

My improved system of pumping sludge and other liquids is ideally adapted for removing oil sludge from the double bottoms of oil-burning marine vessels which operations frequently require that the pumped sludge be elevated to heights much in excess of 34 feet. the maximum lift by straight suction, these lifts frequently being from ft. to ft. or more. Furthermore, by interposing in the line additional boosters above the position of the booster shown in Fig. 1, say

'at'intervals of 25 it, it is possible to elevate the pumped sludge to much greater heights, say 100 or more feet. Likewise, my improved system is especially adapted for removing the oil residuum from refinery tanks located near but not necessarily at the water front, because the force pump 32 employed, renders it possible to convey the pumped material a thousand feet'or so, as is often required, in order to deliver it to a slop barge in the neighboring harbor, whereas if such pump were not employed, it would be necessary to have the slop tank in close proximity to and considerably below the reliever 2| into'which latter the sludge would be primarily delivered from such storage tank.

.the "high-side of the Pump and is thence discharged through the outlet conduit 33 in the well known manner. Should, however, the pressure in the receptacle 2| for any reason increase beyond that existing in the low-side of the pump, then the clapper valve 3| will close during the period that such excess pressure continues to exist in the receptacle 2| and consequently the pumped sludge will still continue to flow, due to gravity and pressure differential, into the conduit Illa and thence to the low-side of the pump 32 while at the same time no sludge will be permitted to pass through the clapper valve to the low side of the pump.

My method comprises, essentially, a piston and bubble form of transmission since ordinarily the vacuum existing at the intake end of' the transmission line is low. The materialenters the transmission line In accompanied by a 4 substantial volume of air and as this mass of material and air passes the ring aperture of the booster II, the gas or liquid will be momentarily blocked from passage into the transmission line until suflicient pressure is developed behind the gas or liquid to cause it to cut through the pass-- ing column of material. Thereupon the pressure of the liquid or gas jet behind the material will cause consolidation of the material in advance thereof into a solid piston of material and the as or liquid in the line will be consolidated into a large bubble alternating with the pistons of material. The moving bubble of gasses behind the lowermost piston of material tends to suck or direct more material or gas into the transmission line through the intake end thereof and the cycle of operations is then repeated. The gas and liquid in the bubbles interposed between the various pistons of material will gradually be partially condensed as it passes upwardly along the transmission line so that the amount of material required to be removed from the receptacle 2| through the steam-air ejector pump 28 together with the gas which is admixed therewith. is materially less than the amount of gas introduced through the booster into the transmission line. The maintenance of the moderate vacuum by pump 28 at the discharge end of the transmission line serves to minimize condensation in the line thereby preserving the propelling efliciency of the jet, besides relieving the head pressure in the and thereby facilitating the sure and the relatively large volume of the gas jet introduced into the booster. to elevate the pumped material to a height of 50 ft. or more. if desired, or greatly in excess of 34 ft., which latter is the maximum height to which water can be lifted by straight suction and this accomplishment of itself clearly shows that form of transmission in my improved method of operation, constitutes essentially a bubble and piston" form of transmission as distinguishedfrom the well known emulsion or spray form of transmission.

My improved method can be carried out in an apparatus which is remarkably simple and cheap to construct. and which, furthermore, can be easily transported on a barge or truck.

At the end of conduit Illa. and before this conduit enters the suction chamber, I place a T joint 4|, having a valve 42, to modify or alter the liquid; to one end of this T joint I attach a pipe 43 leading to a liquid supply. At the end of pipe 30 I also place a T joint 44 having a valve 45 for modifying the liquid in the suction chamber of the pump 32. At the end of T joint 44 I place a pipe 46 leading to a liquid supply in order to liquidize the material and ease the flow of the material into the discharge chamber of the pump 32. The same applies to the 1' joint 4| and the pipe 43 leading to a liquid supply.

Various changes in the details of the apparatus of the method of operation set forth hereunder may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as impressed within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a pumping apparatus for viscous mate-' rial, the combination comprising a transmission line, vacuum creating means connected to the end of said line adjacent the discharge end thereof, an ejector nozzle interposed at an intermediate point in the line, separator means for separately discharging the pumped viscous material from the gaseous material transmitted from the line, a force pump connected to the discharge end or the transmission line at a level below said separator means and means for priming the vacuum in the suction chamber of said force pump, a clapper valve to prevent any liquid from entering saidpriming means, whereby when the vacuum in said separator means rises said clapper valve opens and automatically primes said force pump, and liquifying means comprising inlet pipes positioned and adapted to modify the pumped material entering the suction sideof the force pump into a liquid state so as to ease the flow of material into the discharge chamber thereof.

2. A pumping apparatus for viscous material, a transmission line, vacuum creating means connected to said transmission line adjacent to the discharge end thereof, an ejector nozzle interposed at an intermediate point in said transmission line, a force pump, a separator chamber for separating the gases from the liquid transmitted from said line and means for priming the vacuum in said force pump and to facilitate the flow of the pumped viscous material by gravity from the separator to the force pump, means to prevent any liquid from entering the priming means,

and liquifying means comprising inlet pipes in saidprimingmeansandinsaidionline positioned and adapted to modify the pumped material entering the suction side of the force pump into a liquid state so as to ease menw-= of material into the discharge chamber thereof.

3. In a pumping apparatus, the combination commencement of the suction stroke of said discharge ends, moderate vacuum creating means at the discharge end, means for admitting a high pressure gas jet into the intake end for developing additional vacuum in the intake end to suck the materials to be pumped through said intake and into said jet, and to create pressure behind the material being pumped through said transmission linefa separator chamber in'communication with said vacuum means and with the discharge end, such chamber serving to separate the gaseous and liquid materials from each other. means comprising a force pump in communication with said separator chamber for forcibly discharging the separated discharged liquid materialmtoihesloptanmandllquifyingmeans comprising inlet pipes positioned and adapted to modify the pimped material entering the auction side of the force pump into a liquid state so as to ease the flow of material into the discharge chamber thereof.

4. In a pumping apparatus, the combination comprising a transmission line having an intake end and a discharge end, vacuum creating means in communication with the discharge end, means for admitting a pressure jet into the intake end for developing a moderate vacuum in the intake end to suck the materials ,to be pumped through said intake and into said jet, a separator chamber in communication with the vacuum creating means and with the discharge end of the transmission line, said chamber serving to separate the viscous material from the gaseous material, means in communication with the separator chamber forcibly discharging the separated liquid into the slop tank comprising a force pump and liquifying means comprising inlet pipes positioned and adapted to modify the pumped material entering the suction side of the force pump into a liquid state so as to ease the flow of material into the discharge chamber thereof. v

5. In a pumping apparatus of the character described, "the combination comprising a transmission line, means for delivering a gas jet into said transmission line at a location adjacent to the intake orifice thereof, an ejector nozzle interposed at an intermediate point in said transmission line, but beyond said gas jet means, a vacuum separator adjacent to the discharge end of the transmission line, a force pump associated with said separator for removing the separated liquid and viscous material therefrom, means for separately withdrawing gaseous material from said separator, equal- .izing means including a conduit having a check valve interposed therein for equalizing the pressure in the upper end of the separator chamber and the suction side of the force pump at the pump, and liquifying means comprising inlet pipes positioned and adapted to modify the pumped .material entering the suction side of the force pump into a liquid state so as to ease the flow of material into the discharge chamber thereof. comprising a transmission line having intake and BENG'I OLSSON.

REFERENCES crrnn The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

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